Verbrannte Erde

Trojan (Mišel Matičević) is an old-school gangster - but the old days are over. When he returns to Berlin after 12 years underground to steal a painting by Caspar David Friedrich, he discovers that his business is different now and it's suddenly all about sheer survival. Arslan's sequel to IM SCHATTEN is stringently narrated genre cinema. Car journeys are staged as gliding movements, colored shades of light make the night glow in different shades of black, a pulsating score sets atmospheric accents. Berlin has also changed: It shows itself here as an inhospitable city with soulless hotels, deserted parking lots and glass buildings. (bik)